Shaft-shackle for vehicles.



Patented July I, |902.

S. B. BAILEY.

SHAFT SHAGKLE FOB VEHICLES.

(Applx t n f11 d Jan 25 1902) @wml N0. (N0 Model.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT EECE.

SAMUEL R. BAILEY, OF AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS..

f 4SHAFT-SHCKLE FOR VEHICLES.

sPEcrEcA'rioN forming part' of Leners Patent No. 703,365, dated Jury 1, 1902. Application filed January 25, 1902. Serial No. 91,239. (No model.)

To all whom, if; may cori/cern,.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Amesbury, in the county'of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Shaft-Shackles for Vehicles, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in shaft-shackles for vehicles,'and has for its object a deviceof improved and simplified construction capable of being readily applied to and detached from the clip.

My invention consists in the features and in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the claims following` the description, reference beingv had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein- Figure lis a front elevation of myimproved shaft-shackle, showing the same applied to a thill-coupling of a vehicle-axle. Fig. 2 is a lon-Y gitudinal section on the line 2 2 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. .3 is a detail front elevation of the inner end of the shaft-iron. Fig. 4. is a crosssection on the line 4 4 shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a detail rear view of the adjustable jaw shown as removed from the shaft-iron. j

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings. Y

Referring to the drawings, A indicates one end of a carriage thill or shaft, secured in a suitable mannerto the shaft-iron B.

The shaft-iron B is provided at its rear or inner end with a preferably semicircular jaw` l), which, in connection with an adjustable pivoted preferably semicircular jaw C, is adapted to encompass the thill-coupling bolt D or an elastic sleeve el, located thereon, as shown.

The bolt D is pivotally connected `to the` or nut, which is preferably formed integral The adjustable jaw C is provided at its in-J ner end with a sleeve C',whic`h is guided and longitudinally adjustable in the cylindrical recess'b' in the shaftiron B, as Well as on the sleeve b'r, secured to or forming a part of said shaft-iron.

Within the said sleeve C" is journaled a screw-threaded bolt l-I, which l engages with the internally-screw-threaded sleeve or nut b, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

To the outer end of the screw I-I is secured in asuitable manner an actuator H', preferably made in the form of a circular wheel or disk; but I wish to state that I do not desirel to confine myself to this exact form or constructioniof said actuator or adjuster, as it may be made in the form of a lever or thumbpiece of any desired shape without departing from the essence of my invention. In practice I prefer to provide such actuator or lever with one or more perforations h h h, adapted to receive a strap I, connected to the thillcoupling plate G by passing'it through a slotted perforation g in the latter, as shown in Fig. 2, which strap serves, when connected to the plate G andY adjuster H", as a means to prevent the latter from rotation.

The screw H is free to turn loosely Withi the sleeveC' in the adjustable jaw C, but is prevented from having any longitudinalmotion therein by means of a collar 7?/ on the upper end of saidscrew-H, journaledin a groove C onthe sleeve C', as shown in Figs.`

2 and 4. Such groove C" is preferably made byuturning upl a lip over the collar h' or in any other suitable or equivalent manner, so as Vto permit the screw I-I to 4rotate freely in the sleeve C' `withoutmoving longitudinally 1 therein. By this arrangement the jaw C and its sleeve C' are caused to move in anduout relative to the shaft-iron B and its jaw b during the rotary adjustment of the actuator o lever H and its4 screw II.

To couple the thill to the bolt of the aXleclip it is onlynecessary to place-the jaw h.

IOO

byturnng the actuator H until the jaws C and b encompass the clip-bolt D or-itsrubber Sleeve, and will thus beheld irmly andsecurely thereon. To uncouple the device, this operation has merely to be reversed and the jaw C swung to a position diametrically op- Ap'osite to that show-n in the drawings.

This -invention is very advantageous for several reasons, among which may be mentioned: The adjusting device is constructed in such a manner'as to be entirely protected .from water,dirt, &c.,whereby rusting and clogging of the parts are prevented. The screw of the adjusting device is not liable to bend or bind, on account of thesleeve on the' adjustable jaw being guided in a socket or recessin the shaft-iron. By having the adjuster `provided with one orvmore apertures adapted to be connected to the thill-coupling or shaft by means of a strap `the adjuster is prevented from turning loose, thus preventing the spreading of the jaws in which the thill-couplingboltisjournaled.V Bymeansofsaidscrewactuated adjuster the movable jaw may be closed relative to the lower jaw and the coup.- lingbolt or its rubber sleeve with just as little force as necessary for accomplishing the desired result.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of ymy invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claiml. In a shaft-shackle, the combination with the thill-iron terminating at itsrextremity in 'a jaw b, and provided on its innerface With an internally screw threaded cylindrical sleeve or nut 11",' of the screw-threaded bolt H, engagingfsaid nut'and provided with an adjuster, and the jaw-O journaled on said the thill-'iron terminating at its extremity in p a .jaw b, and recessed on its inner face at b, Y

of an internally-sc'reW-threaded cylindrical sleeve or nut b projecting from saidrecessed face, the screw-threadedbolt H, engaging said nut and provided with an adjuster H', and means for connecting the latter to the shaft or thill-coupling-and the jaw C jourvnaledy on said bolt H, and adapted to encompass the bolt D, or cushion d, as set forth.

, In testimony whereof I haveaiixed my signature inl presence of two witnesses.

f lSAMUEL R. BAILEY..

\Vitnesses:

ALBAN ANDRN, LAURITZ N.- MLLER.. 

